Thermostatic valve



June 27, 1944.

R. C. JOHNSON THERMOSTATIC VALVE Filed July 1, 1940 INVENTOR.

Patented June 27, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 2,352,203 THERMOSTATIC VALVE I Roger C. Johnson, Moline, Ill. Application July 1, 1940, Serial No. 343,479 2 Claims. (Cl. 236-34) The present invention relates to thermostatic valves and more particularly to thermostatic valve units adapted to be inserted or embodied in the water line of an automobile cooling system to control the fiowof the cooling medium through the automobile engine in accordance with the closed position it is subjected to considerable pressure from the water crating under conditions of low outside air conditions, as near or below 0 F., it takes only a very small opening of the valve to provide all the circulation needed. With these conditions in mind it is a feature of connections between the valve and the thermal element which provide a slow opening valve at times when power and/or accurate control is needed but in which after the valve has been moved only a relatively small distance away from its fully closed position the movement of the valve becomes increasingly greater as the valve approaches its fully open position. Thus, small movement and relatively great power-are available-when they are needed, but without interfering with the full opening of the valve within a given temperature range.

Another feature of this invention is to provide a connection between the valve and the thermal element arranged so that the connection lies sub.- stantially flat against the valve when the latter is in its open position, whereby to secure as little obstruction to fluid flow as possible. This is impump. Also, when opportant in securing an initial slow and powerful movement of the valve starting from its closed position, followed by a movement of the valve which is actually proportionately greater than the movement of the thermal element. Stated in another way, it is a feature of this invention to provide a valve opened and closed by a thermal element in which at first the valve moves much slower than the thermal element and then later the invention to provide moves appreciably faster than the thermal element. Still further, another object of this invention is to secure this action with only a single movable element between part and the valve.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled art after a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The single figure of the drawing is a longitu dinal sectional view showing, by way of illustrae tion, a hose-line thermostat.

the thermally moved The form of the invention shown in the drawing includes a casing I30, apertured at diametrically opposite points, or substantially so. to re-- ceive a transverse shaft I3I. vided with apertured ears I33 by which the valve I32 is mounted for pivotal movement on the shaft I3l. A coiled bimetallic thermostat I35 is disposed in the casing with its coils transverse and is anchored at its inner end I 36 to a transverse post I31 that is fixed in any suitable manher at its outer ends-to the casing I30. The free or operative end of the thermostat I35 extends generally axially of the casing I30 and is slotted,

A valve I32 s proas at I39, and coiled about apin I4Iso as to be pivotally connected therewith. The pin member I4! is carried at the end I42 of a U-shaped l nk I40, the end I42 lying within the slot I39. The opposite ends I 44,145 of the link I46 are disposed on the opposite sides of and are pivoted, as by a pin I46, to a bracket I41. The latter is secured to the valve I32 in any suitable manner, as by being inserted into a hole 8 therein and riveted in place so as to be rigidly and permanently fixed to the valve. The ends I 44, I45 of the link MD are extended, as at I50, to provide link from being swung downwardly beyond the position shown in the figure.

The thermostatic valve unit operates as follows. When the valve is closed the link I 40 and the end of the thermostat lie in a straight line relation, whereby the initial opening of the valve will take place at a relatively slow rate. While I have shown the end of'the thermostat I35 as serving as the operating member for the link I45,

it will be understood that, if desirable, a link may be pivoted on or near the post I31 and connected at the other end to the end I42 of the link I 23, such link being swung by the thermostat in any suitable manner. The pivots and relations of the various parts are so arranged that as the thermostat I35 expands, the pin MI, which swings a stop'to keep the the link I 40, moves through the path P while the pin 46 which is connected with the 'when the valve connecting the shaft the latter moves valve and which receives the other end of the link I40 moves through the path P". Both of the paths P and P in this form of the invention lie in substantially the same plane. However, the paths P and P are divergent; that is, when the valve I32 is open (dotted lines) the paths P and P 'are separated by a distance which is substantially equal to the efiective length of the link 0. Thus, the pin HI to a position substantially in line with the shaft Iii to swing the valve I32 wide open. Preferably, is closed the link I40 is arranged so as to be substantially perpendicular to a line l3l and the pin iorm of the invention has the advantage-that with the arrangement of the pivots and parts shown, the valve is opened with a slow powerful movement during the first few degrees of opening movement, but 'thout any sliding friction However, after the valve has started to open, its movement is rapidly accelneed move only up MB. This erated and the valve is swung freely into its wide open position, yet only a relatively small angular displacement of the thermostat is required. During the initial opening movement of the valve, slower than the thermostat, but after the valve has been opened several degrees its movement is accelerated, relative to the corresponding movement of the thermostat, until the valve moves faster than the thermostat. -As the valve moves up to within a few degrees of its wide open position its movement, relative to the corresponding movement of the thermostat, is at a slower rate. tage in that it permits the thermostat to continue to expand after the valve is open, yet such additional expansion will have very little effect in starting to move the valve back to a closed position.

understood that my invention is not to be limited been embodied. it is tobe This is, however, an advanportion movable at a distance to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure Patent is:

1. A thermostatic valve comprising a supporting member through which fluid to be controlled is adapted to flow, a valve pivoted thereto for movement about an axis between open and closed positions, thermally responsive means connected with said supporting member and including a from and generally about an axis in response to changes in the temperature to which said means is subjected, said axes being fixed in a given relation with respect to said supporting member and each other and a link pivoted adjacent one end to a portion of the valve spaced a distance from the pivot axis of the latter and adjacent the other end to said thermally responsive portion, the distance between said axes and the effective radii of said valve portion, to which one end of the link is connected, and of said movable portion of the means, respectively, being such that when the valve is swung from closed to open position said link is turned approximately end for end and both said link and said thermally responsive portion are disposed closely adjacent and substantially flat against the valve.

2. A thermostatic valve as defined in claim 1, further characterized by the axis of movement of said thermally responsive portion being substantially parallel to the axis of movement of said valve and said thermally responsive portion and link means lying in a line substantially perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of said valve and the point of connection of said link means with the valve, whereby the initial opening movement of said valve compared to the corresponding movement of said thermally responsive portion.

ROGER C. JOHNSON.

by I Letters is relatively slow 

